The current cocktail revolution has also spawned the rebirth of many classic glassware styles. Gone are the days of always serving Manhattans in a Martini glass. We're witnessing the return of the coupe glass.
Shapely. Mysterious. Classic. The popular mythology is the coupe glass was modeled after Queen Marie Antoinette's chest. Though this is just a rumor, there is a French component to its origins.
Designed in England in the 1600s, the coupe glass was created for one of France's most spectacular and, at the time, newest wines - Champagne. The problem with a wide-rimmed wine glass that was designed to hold bubbles, though, is that it doesn't really hold bubbles. And while the coupe glass remained, its contents shifted from sparkling wine to concoctions and spirits.
Today, the coupe glass is a bartender's favorite, but why is everyone returning to it?
Even though its royal origins are somewhat exaggerated, there's no doubt the coupe glass still has that elegant, classic look. Because of its shape, it really allows bar-goers to see the rich colors or clarity of the cocktail.
We've already talked about the younger relative to the coupe glass (and they are related), but there's just something about a traditional Martini glass that makes it hard to use. We've all spilled a little bit at one point or another, and coupe glasses make losing a drop or two much less an occurrence. Coupe glasses also have long stems, making it harder to change the temperature of the drink with your body temperature.
One of the great benefits of a coupe glass is its versatility. Whether shaken or stirred, many types of cocktails are suited for coupe glasses, and creative bartenders might even find additional uses.
You can serve almost anything in a coup glass. The Manhattan, Side Car, Daiquiri, Bijou, Martinez... the list goes on an on. In reality, you can use just about any spirit with any preparation method and still make good use of your coup glass.